ENHEDUANNA

#firstauthor #enheduanna
DETAILS:
The world's first named author is Enheduanna. Learn more about this Mesopotamian poet, princess, and priestess in the attached lecture and/or an article: BBC. Puabi is also part of the exhibition and lecture featured in this blog post with lecture attached. I have spoken of my time at the Ruins of Ur and visiting the tomb of Puabi in earlier blog posts and in a podcast. It is interesting to note how Enheduanna, a first-person poet & author, relates to the ancient figure Puabi as discussed in my Podcast 1: Cradle to Grave with Women Warriors Throughout the Ages

If you've never heard of her, you're not alone. Enheduanna was unknown to modernity altogether until 1927, when the archaeologist Sir Leonard Woolley excavated objects that bear her name. We now know that her name, in Sumerian, means "Ornament of Heaven", and as the high priestess of the moon deity Nanna-Suen, she composed 42 temple hymns and three stand-alone poems that, like the Epic of Gilgamesh (which is not credited to a named author), scholars consider an important part of Mesopotamia's literary legacy."
​Quoted in BBC.com

Great queen of queens, issue of a holy womb for righteous powers, greater than your own mother, wise and sage, lady of all the foreign lands, life-force of the teeming people: I will recite your holy song! True goddess fit for divine powers, your splendid utterances are magnificent. Deep-hearted, good woman with a radiant heart, I will enumerate your divine powers for you!

Enheduana the en priestess, entered my holy jipar in your service. I carried the ritual basket, and intoned the song of joy. But funeral offerings we brought, as if I had never lived there. A approached the light, but the light was scorching hot to me. I approached that shade, but I was covered with the storm. My honeyed mouth became venomous. My ability to soothe moods vanished."

Quoted in: The exaltation of Inana (Inana B): translation (ox.ac.uk)